Knitting machine



F. LAMBACH KN'ITTING MACHINE orig'ihal Filed oct. 4; 1939 14 sheets-sheet 1v Aug. E3, 394%. 'KNLTTING MACHINE 14 sheets-sheet 2 Original Filed Oct. 41939 mvEN-ron Bus; LA M/MH BY ATTORNEY KNITTING 'MACHINE Original Filed 0611./ 4, i959 14 Sheets-#Sheet 3 mvEN-roR fm2. M6/4CH 4@Niv y 42 1 ATTORNEY v Aug. 13, 194s.

F. LAMBCH KNITTING MACHINE Original Fil-ed 00j.. 4, 1939 14 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY F. LAMBACH 2395583 i K KNITTING MACHTNE original Filed oct. 4, 1939 14 Sheets-Sheet 5 FVW? AWQRNEY Aug., E3, 1946. F.. LAMBACH KNITTING MACHINE original Filed oct, 4, 1939 -14 sheds-sheet 6 ug. E3 4- i F. LAMBACH y Y KNITTING MACHINE original Filed oci. 4, 1939 '14 sheets-skienl e iNvENToR Fri-ti mm3/mi ATTORNEY Aug. 13, E46o F.'L.AMBAcH` .KNITTING MAcHiNE Original Filed Oct. 4, 1939 14 Sheets-Sheet 9 Aug. Y1.3, 1946. F. LAMBACH 45533 KNITTiING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 4, 1939.y 14 Sheets-Sheet 10 mvENroR Frat; LAMAcH ATi'oRNEY i3, 1946. F. LAMBAcl-l I Y. 2,405,553

' KITTING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 4,1939 14 Sheets-Sheet 11 ATTORNEY 200 I,\\ 20045. mzf

ug, 13, 1946. t F. LAMBACH KN'ITTING MACHINE original Filed oci. 4, 1959 14 Sheets-Sheet 12 INVENTOR Fritz LAMACH ATTORNEY f l I I I l ll i. AM

Aug. E3, i946. F. LAMBACH KNITTING MACHINE original Filed oct. 4, 1939 14 Sheets-sheet 15 INVENTOR Fritz. 4 @Y /Anorwev i l *www- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTIN G MACIDNE Fritz Lambach, Tenay, N. J., assignor to Robert Reiner, Incorporated, Weehawken, N. J.

Original application October 4, 1939, Serial No.

297,829, now Patent No. 2,363,008, dated November 21, 1944. Divided and this application August 2, 1944, Serial No. 547,765. In Germany March 6, 1939.

9 Claims. (Cl. (i6-82) This application is a divisional application Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the machine lookdivided out of my patent application Serial ing in the direction of arrow 4 4 of Fig. 2, #279,829 led October 4, 1939, for Art of knitting Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2,y fabric onto prefabricated fabric blanks, now Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-5 of Fig. 2, Patent No. 2,363,008. i 5 Fig. 7 is a section taken on line l-l of Fig. 2,

This invention relates to knitting machines, Fig. 3 iS a SeCi'fiOrl iakerl Orl line 3 3 0f Fia 2, and more particularly to the motor drive of Fig. 9 is a detail showing parts of Fig. 7 in one knitting machines. operative position,

An object of my invention is to provide a Fig. 10 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 9 with the parts knitting machine, the operation of which may be 1o in another Operative position, automatically changed from a low speed opera- Fig- 11 iS a Side eleVaiOrl 0f the transfer Cletion to a high speed operation and vice versa, Viee showing the parts irl neutral inoperative as the performance of certain operations dur- DOSiiOn. ing the manufacture of a fabric or a plurality of Fig- 12 1SV a SeCOrl taken 0n line |2-i2 0f fabrics may require. Fig. 6,

Another object of my invention is the con- Fig. 13 is a detail in front elevation illustratstruction of a knitting machine equipped with ing the guiding means fOr the needle bar, krlOCkan automatic transfer device for transferring OVer Comb, and transfer device. prefabricated fabric blanks from a supply of Fig. 14 iS an enlarged detail 0f a Dart 0f JElle such prefabricated fabric blanks onto the needles 2o knitting section of the knitting machine, of the knitting machine and/or equipped with Fia 15 is a section taken on line I5-i5 of an automatic thread clampingand cutting de- Fg- 14, vice for cutting threads, which knitting machine Fig 16 iS a View Similar to Fig. lwith the may be automatically operated at low speed dur- Darts in aIlO'rher DOSiiiOrl,

ing the transferring and/or clamping and cut- 2 Fe- 17 iS a face elevation 0f the Yparts shown ting operations and at high speed during the m Flg 1,6 in the direction Of line l'i--l'ii knitting of the fabric or fabrics, Fig. 18 is a view similar to Figs. 15 and 16 with A further object of my invention is to improve the parts in Still another DOSi'GiOD upon the construction of knitting machines as Fig- 19 is 9# View Similar t0 Fig- 17 Wiil'l Cernow ordinarily mada tain parts in section to illustrate a construction My invention consists in certain novel feathereof turs of construction of my improvements as will Fig- 20 i5 a Section taken Orl line 2li-2U 0f be hereinafter fully described. Fig- 16J Further objects and advantages of my inven- Fg- 21 is a diagrammatic illustration 0f a tion will be apparent from the following dis- Combination leg and OOt blank, closure of an illustrative embodiment thereof. Fig- 22 S a diagrammatic illuStratiOnjof the The accompanying drawings illustrate the a@ stocking fabric in topped position on the transplication of the invention to a so-called heeler fer par or hee-ling machine of the at knitting machine Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic illustration of the type, which is intended to knit heel tabs as com stocking blank with the heel tabs knitted therein, tinuations of the high heel portions of a com- F1524 1S an erflarged dei@ 0f the thread bination leg and foot full-fashioned stocking clampmg E md Cim-mg mechamsm blank, and to interknit Said blank with the heel n Fig. 25 1s a diagrammatic illustration of the turn-table locking control mechanism,

Fig. 26 is a detail in top plan of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 25, with certain parts broken out, and

Fig. 27 is a diagrammatic illustration of the tabs. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is in no way limited to such a heeler or heeling machine.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the knitting maspeed Com-,m1 mechanism, chme with certain parts removed for the Sake 5 Referring now to the drawings, a motor 65e of Fclantv, (Fig. 2) for the normal high-speed operation of e. 2 1S a SeetlOn 'Baken Orl llrle 2-2 0f F1g 1, the machine and a motor 652 for the occasional Flg. 3 isan enlargedhrear elevation of the knltlow-speed operation of the machine are attached 11mg machlne Wlth Certaln parts removed for the to the support I6 carrying the frame l2 of the sake of clarity, l 5b knitting machine. The high speed motor 650 is directly connected to the main cam shaft |3 of the knitting machine through the medium of a gearing 654, 65B, 665 and 562 (Figs. 2, 3 and 5) for driving the main cam shaft IB. A free wheel coupling 555 is arranged between the low-speed motor 552 and the pinion 664 also meshing with the gear 55S of said gearing. Furthermore, a

double pole magnetic switch or change-over switch 668 (see left half of Fig. 2) is mounted on the knitting machine frame. Said changeover switch is controlled by the pattern control mechanism of the knitting machine in a manner to be described later on. When the switch 568 is in such a position that the high-speed motor 658 is fed with current from the electric source, the high-speed motor drives the main cam shaft I3 through the 'medium of the gearing 654, 555, 652, whereby the pinion 654 is also rotated by the gear '656; the low-speed motor '652, however, is not rotated, as the free wheel coupling 666 is arranged between the pinion 5.64 and the. lowspeed motor 552. When= on the other hand, the switch |568v is in such a position, that the lowspeed motor 552 is fed with current from the electric source, the low-speed motor 652 drives the gearing 556, 658, 562 by means of the pinion 554, which now is positively rotated by the coupling 666, so that the main cam shaft i8 is revolved slowly. In this case, the gear 655 rotates the pinion 554 directly connected with the. high-speed motor 650, so that the rotor of the high-speed motor 650 is also slowly rotated. Thus, during the operation of the knitting machine either the high-speed motor 65B or the low-speed motor 652 drives the main cam shaft I8 so that the latter constantly rotates. Fig. 27 diagrammatically shows an electrical circuit illustrating a possible way of selectively supplying current to the motors. The current from the feed lines 610 wherein a line switch lill may be interposed, is controlled by means of a manually operable master switch B12 adapted.l by the function of a single pole magnetic switch 513 associated therewith, to start and stop the machine. The line switch 67| and the single pole switch 613 being closed, the current may then'flow to the high-speed motor 650, or to the low-speed motor 652. The pole of the change-over yswitch 658 may be reversed by actuation of a limit switch '674 under control of the pattern control mechanism, as will later apf 314 is the push cam for advancing the thread i carrier spindle and the narrowing mechanism producing the narrowing of the heel, said push cam is firmly secured to the main cam shaft like all the other cams except cam 53.

|94 is the catch bar lifting cam;

|95` is a round cam representing one of the two round cams for the narrowing machine during the working operations and also representing the round cam for'the catch bar during the nart rowing operations;

252 is one of the two narrowing machine cams; 22|! is the forward knocking-over working cam; 222 is the forward knocking-over narrowing cam;

232 is the additional cam for high and low knocking over during the transfer of a prefabricated stocking blank from the transfer bar to the needles;

228 is the normal high and low knocking-over working cam;

236 is the high and low knocking-over narrowing cam;

|80 is the catch bar working cam;

|82 is the catch bar narrowing cam;

84 is the additional press cam for moving the needle bar during the transfer of a prefabricated l stocking blank from the transfer bar to the needles.

8.5 is the press working cam;

82 is the press narrowing cam;

54 is the regulating working cam;

96 is the regulating narrowing cam;

254 'is the second round cam for the narrowing machine during the working operations;

255 is the second narrowing machine cam;

294 is the round cam for the sole transfer mechanism;

295 is the working cam for the sole transfer mechanism for transferring the soles by one or two needles on to the needles knitting the heels;

'|32 is the push cam for the pattern chain;

'H2 is one of the two halves of the narrowing shifting cam;

|13 is the other half of the narrowing shifting cam;

Tm is the cam for shifting the shifting roller '|53 cooperating with two halves of the `marrowing shifting cam;

H8 is the thread tension working cam;

|20 is the thread tension narrowing cam;

Si! is the needle bar working cam;

B2 is the needle bar narrowing cam;

62S and 62T are collars for the feed motion of the turn table said collars being rmly mounted on the main cam shaft;

530 is an auxiliary cam cooperating with the mechanism ofr the transfer device;

5|6 is the working cam for the transfer device;

5 I8 is the round cam for the transfer device;

554 is the working cam for the gripping latches of the transfer device.

Figs. 2 and 8 show the control cha-in or pattern chain '|08 controlling the various mechanisms of the knitting machine. This pattern chain '|55 is advanced by one link for every revolution of the main cam shaft i3. For this purpose the push cam '|32 (Figs. 3 and 8) for the pattern chain or narrowing chain '|06 cooperates with the roller '|35 of the spring actuated push lever 13| swingably mounted on the nar rowing jack '|33 at '129. During every down stroke of the roller lever |3| caused by means of the push cam 732, the free end '|28 of the roller lever 13| depresses the pawl arm 12S, so that the pawl '|24 (Figs. 2 and 8) attached to said arm |26 feeds by one tooth the gear 122 secured to the shaft 'H6 of the narrowing chain drum 1|4. Thus, the narrowing chain 705 guided by the rollers '|18 is intermittently advanced. A row of spring actuated narrowing jack levers 1|2c, 1|2b, H20, H211, 112e, 'H2L 1|2g and 'llEh (Figs. 2 and 8) is swingably arranged on a rod 'H3 carried by the narrowing jack 133. As often as one of the narrowing buttons 'H5 arranged in several rows and at certain distances on the narrowing chain 166 cornes in engagement with the projecting extension of one of said narrowing jack levers, the respective narrowing jack leverY is swung about the rod H3, whereby the respective mechanism in the knitting machine is controlled or released respectively. The narrowing jack levers operate the respective mechanisms by means of linkages. Now, the following controlling operations carried out by the narrowing jack levers are enumerated:

The narrowing jack lever 'II2a controls the thread-cutting device; n

The narrowing jack lever 'H217 controls the transfer device and renders the additional press cam as well as the additional cam for high and low knocking-over active or inactive respectively;

The narrowing jack lever II2c controls the feed motion of the thread carrier spindle and the narrowing mechanism during the knitting of the heel;

The narrowing jack leverklIZd controls the feed motion of the thread carrier spindle and the narrowing mechanism during the knitting of the ravel courses;

The narrowing jack lever 'H26 controls the loose-course intermediate lever for knitting Aa loose course;

The narrowing jacklever H23 controls the stopping device of the turntable carrying the prefabricated stocking blank;

Thernarrowing jack lever 'II2g controls the change-over switch for high and low speed operation of the knitting machine;

The narrowing jack lever 'IIZh controls the transfer of the soles by one or two needles on to the needles knitting the heels.

The knitting mechanism and the narrowing mechanism are fully described in my co-pending parent patent application Ser. #297,829. Hereinafter only those mechanisms, and parts of the knitting machine will be described, which are necessary for the understanding of the invention described herein.

When the knitting machine started and the main cam shaft I8 revolves, at certain periods, each time a transfer of the soles shall take place, the narrowing jack lever 1 |271, is swung by means of buttons mountedon the narrowing chain 106, which is intermittently advanced. Each time the narrowing jack lever 'IIZh is swung, a linkage (not shown) connected to said narrowing jack lever causes in a well-known manner .a shifting of the narrowing roller'l68 (Figs. 3 and 8) by means of the cam 110 in the direction of the axis of a shaft 109 carrying said narrowing roller 168, so that the narrowing roller comes into engagement with either one of the two halves of the narrowingshifting cam 112, 113. Fig. 3 shows the main cam shaft I8, which is rotatably and slidably arranged in the frame o f the knitting machine and'may be shifted in longitudinal direction, in the position which it occupies during the knitting operations of the knitting ma-l chine. When a narrowing operation controlled by the narrowing jack lever 'I IZh takes place for transferring the soles by one or two needles on to the needles knitting the heels, the main cam shaft I8 is shifted in the direction of the arrow A to the left.

The drive of the knocking-over device is shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 7, The knocking-over bits 200 are mounted on the frame |68 rigidly secured to a shaft 202, the ends of which are rotatably mounted in two spaced small lever arms 204 (only one of same is shown in the drawings). The lever arms 204 are keyed to the knockingover shaft 26, journalled in the machine frame.

Furthermore, a link 206 is rigidly secured to the y shaft 202 as best shown in Fig. 6. The free end roller 2 I8 cooperates with the forward-knocking-V over narrowing cam 222, whereby the forward and backward movement is imparted to the knocking-over bits.

The knocking-over bits must, however, also perform an up and down movement. For this purpose a lever 2N (Fig. 6) is keyed to the knocking-over shaft 26. For a purpose to be described later onthe roller 226 of said lever 224 is shiftablyy arranged on a pin 221 attached to the lever 224. The roller 226can be shifted on the pin 221 by means of a fork lever 236 secured to a control rod 3G (Figs. 2 and 6), which is slidably arranged in the machine frame in longitudinal direction. The operation and control of this control rod 34 will be described later on. As long as the roller 226 is in its normal position, it cooperates, during the knitting operations, with the normal working cam 228 for high and low knocking-over (Figs. 3 and 6) and during the narrowing operations, with the high and low knocking-over narrowing cam 230, which im-v parts to the knocking-over bits the desired up and clown movements.

Figs. 7 and 8 show the driving mechanism by means of which the needle bar 66 carrying the needles 3S is lifted and lowered. The needle bar i6 has two downward extensions 50 (Figs. 2 and '7) linked to the small needle bar arms 56 at 52. The small needle bar arms are keyed to the needle bar shaft 22 iournalled in the machine frame. Furthermore, the roller lever 56 (Fig. 8) carrying the roller 58 is secured to the needle bar shaft 22. During the knitting operations the roller 58 cooperates with the needle bar working cam 60 (Figs. 3 and 8) and during the narrowing oper ations the roller cooperates with the needle bar narrowing cam 62. The oscillations thus imparted to the roller lever 56 produce the lifting and lowering movements of the needle bar through the medium of the smallA needle bar arms 54.

Fig. 7 shows the driving mechanism by means of which the press movements are imparted to the needle bar 46. The press arm 'I6 is loosely and rotatably mounted on the needle bar shaft 22. One end of a connecting link 'I0 is linked to said press arm at 12, the other end of said link 'f6 is pivoted at 63 to the free end of the needle bar cross arm 66 secured t0 the needle bar. The

press arm 'ifi carries at its lower end a pivot 16, on which a roller 'i8 is shiftably arranged. This roller 'E8 may be shifted by means of a fork lever S8, which, like thefork lever 236 (Fig. 6), is secured toV the control rod 34 and performs the shifting of the 'roller in a manner and for a purpose to be described later on, when the control rode!! is shifted as will be described later on. When the roller I8 is in its normal position, during the knitting operations of the machine, the roller 'I8 cooperates with the normal press working cam 86 (Figs. 3 and 7) and during the narrowing operations the roller 'f8 cooperates with the press narrowing cam 52, whereby the needles are moved against the press edge I33 orl against the points of the transfer lingers 23811, and 23817 and narrowing lingers 298e, and 298e respectively as required during the knitting and narrowing. an adjustingscrew IGZ (Fig. 7) is adjustablyarranged on theV press arm -i. The end of the adjusting screw H32 abuts against the regulating arm 99 loosely and rotatably mounted on the needie bar shaft 22 and provided with a roller 9 2. During 'the knitting operations of Vthe machine said roller 92 cooperates with the regulating working cam 944 (Figs. 3 and '7), and during the narrowing operations the roller 92 cooperates with the regulating narrowing cam 9e. The regulating arm 9B serves to regulate the length of the loops.

In order to render possible the automatic transferring of prefabricated stocking blanks on the needles of the knitting machine, the knitting machine is provided with a rotatable supply table or turn table 585) and an automatic transfer device 4138 (Figs l, 4, 6, 7, 9-12, 25 and 26). The turn table 580 is rotatable about the vertical axle 594 mounted in the frame 522. This frame 582 is swingably arranged on the shaft 584 (Figs. 1, 4 and 36) arranged in the machine frame h3, and is held in its operative position shown in Fig. 1 by means of a conical lock screw 588. If for any reason the operator wishes to have access to the mechanism of the knitting machine, he may, after removal of the screw 588, swing the turn table 58d with its frame 582 about the shaft 584. The turn table 53B has a number of sections, for instance six. Said sections are provided with extensions 592 having slots in which the operator may insert transfer bars T as shown in the drawings. Fig. 21 shows a vprefabricated stocking blank dei), inwhich between the high heel portions 894 and the sole portions 868 the separating courses BIO are still present. After, in a suitable device, the separating courses BID have been removed by the knives K and the first course of sole loops has been brought in line with the last course of high heel loops by folding over, the prefabricated stocking blank 86d is topped on to the transfer bar T. in the manner as shown in Fig. 22. Preferably, before the operation of the knitting machine is started, the operator inserts several transfer bars T having the prefabricated stocking blanks 8&3 topped thereon in above described manner into several sections of the turn table 58B, whereupon during the feed motion of the turn table about its axis 594, which will be described later on, the supply on the turn table may continuousli,r be renewed, so that an uninterrupted operation of the knitting machine is assured.

The turn table 58@ must be advanced in such a manner that at the moment when a full transfer bar carrying a prefabricated stocking blank shall be gripped by the transfer device the turn table holds such a full transfer bar in front of the transfer device. Then, the turn table must remain in this position until the transfer device has returned the empty transfer bar, after transferring the prefabricated stockingblank on to the knitting needles, into the saine section from which it previously removed the then full transfer bar. When this operation has been carried out, the turn table must be advanced during the knitting operations of the knitting machine, so that, before the transfer device may grip another full transfer bar of the turn table for a new cycle of operation, the turn table has again brought such a full transfer bar in front of the transfer device. The empty transfer bar, which has been moved away from the knitting machine by the feed motion of the turn table, may then be removed from the turn table by the operator,

8 and at the proper time the operator may replace the empty transfer bar by a fresh, full transfer bar. v

Figs. 1 and 26 show the turn table 588 in a position, in which a spring actuated stop pawl 596 pivoted to the frame 552 at 5971 is in engagement with one of the six stops 562 arranged on the turn table, and holds the turn table in such a position that a full transfer bar T placed on the turn table may be gripped by the transfer device. The gripping of this full transfer bar by the transfer device and the return of the empty transfer bar by the transfer device will be described later on. When the empty transfer bar is returned into the respective section of the turn table and the transfer device has been returned into the neutral position with the gripping latches at a small distance above the turn table as will be described later on, then a button 'H0 of the pattern chain 'm6 (Figs. 2` and 8) actuates the narrowing jack lever 'E IZf which, in turn, swings the latch 5% through the medium of a linkage 769, '162, 76d, so that the stop pawl 596 is disengaged from the stop 5&2. Now the feed pawl 688 can become active and can advance the turn table 558i! by means of the ratchet wheel Se@ in the following manner. 'Ihe spring actuated pawl EBS is pivoted to one end of a lever 6I() swingably mounted on Vthe frame 582 at 6I I. The other end of the lever 6H) is in engagement with a push rod S I 2 having two set collars 6M and SI5 secured thereto. A spring SIS is inserted between the set collar SI5 and the lever GIB slidably engaged with the push rod SI2. The rear end of the push rod @I2 is pivoted to one end of a bell-crank lever 6ft (Figs. l andV 4) at 6I?. The other end of the bell-crank lever SIB swingably mounted at 6m is pivoted to one end of an intermediate link S29, the other end of which is being pivoted to a lever S22. This lever 522 is swingably mounted on the machine frame at the point 623 and carries, approximately at its center, a roller B24 (Figs. 3 and 4) which is in engagement with the two rings 625 and 621 keyed to the cam shaft IS. Thus, every narrowing shift movement of the cam shaft I8 in the direction of the arrows A, B causes an oscillationof the lever 622 about the pivot E523. This oscillation of the lever 622 produces a reciprocating movement of the push rod H2 by means of the intermediate lever 620 and the bellcrank lever BIB. Thus, when the narrowing operation is initiated by means of the narrowing jack lever 'HZf as described above, the push rod SI2 rst is shifted in the direction of the arrow H, whereby the set collar 6M secured to the push rod SI2 swings the lever 6I!! in the direction of the arrow I about the pivot SI I so that the spring actuated pawl 608 is moved back by one tooth and is engaged with another tooth of the ratchet wheel 60B. When, at the end of the narrowing operation, the cam shaft is shifted in the direction of the arrow B and the push rod 6i2 is shifted in the direction of the arrow L, the lever 6H) is swung in the direction of the arrow M by means of the collar SI5 through the medium of the interposed spring (H5 whereby the ratchet wheel 666 is advanced by one tooth. After this advancement of the ratchet wheel, the inclined edge (intl of the stop 602 comes in front of the edge 635 of the pawl 596, so that, upon the subsequent return movement of the narrowing jack lever H21 the spring actuated stop'pawl 59S can not engage any more the f ront edge of this stop 602 and the ratchet wheel 663 can be advanced by the feed pawl B08 without any obstruction during repeated feed motions. The various positions of the ratchet wheel 600 are locked by a small spring actuated lock pawl 634 rotatably mounted at 635. The ratchet wheel 606 is, however, not directly, but indirectly coupled with the turn table 580. As may be seen from Figs. 1, 4 and 26, the ratchet wheel -006 is loosely arranged in a recess of the turn table 580 between its flange 640 and its part 61M provided with the stops 502 and may be rotated relatively to the turntable; furthermore, the ratchet wheel has a vplurality of elongated slots 542, which are in engagement with pins SM secured to the upper side of the part 54|. Small springs 046 are inserted between these pins and one end of the slots 642. Every feed motion of the ratchet wheel 606 is transmitted to the turn table 580 by means of the spring 645 and the pins 644. Now, when the turn table has been advanced by Vone tooth with every narrowing operation, after a certain number of feed motions the spring actuated stop pawl 595 comes in engagement with the next stop 602 of the part 54| being integral with the turn table 580,-whereby the turn table 583 is arrested in such a position that the next section carrying a full transfer bar is in front of the transfer device. Now, when during further narrowing operations the push rod SI2 is repeatedly reciprocated in the direction of the arrows H and L, at first the ratchet wheel 606 is advanced to a small extent by one or two teeth and is rotated relative to the turn table 560 held in its position by the stop pawl 59E, as long as the small springs 546 may be compressed. Thereupon, when the small springs are compressed, the ratchet wheel 606 cannot be advanced further, so that, while the pawl 608 is moved back by one tooth and is engaged with another tooth of the ratchet wheel when the push rod SI2 is moved `in the direction of the arrow I, the pawl 603 and the lever 6I0 carrying same, however, remain in the new position when the push rod SI2 is moved in the direction of the arrow L, and the shifting of the push rod results in a compression of the spring E16. Thus, during further narrowing operations, the reciprocating movements of the push rod SI2 have no effect at all on the ratchet wheel E06, merely the spring BIG is expanded and compressed. Thereuponas soon as the narrowing jack lever 'II2f swings the stop pawl 596 as described above, the turn table can again be advanced in the manner described by means of the push rod 6I2. The arrangement of the small springs 646, which, after the stopping of the turn table 580 by the' engagement of a stop 602 with the stop pawl 590, are compressed, as described above, results in a firm pressing of the respective stop 602 against the stop pawl 596, so that the turn table 580, which is prevented from a return movement by the small stop pawl 634, cannot move to the slightest extent and assures a proper holding of the transfer bar, which is inserted in the respective section, in front of the transfer device in such an accurate position that the transfer device may surely grip the transfer bar.

Now, the transfer device M8 is to be described. This transfer device must be controlled in such a manner, that, during the knitting and narrowing operations, the transfer device is in a neutral position with its gripping latches at a small distance above the turn table 580, so that the latter can be advanced without obstruction at 10 the predetermined moments, as described above. Furthermore, it is necessary, that, after a 1inished stocking blank has been pressed off, the transfer device performs the following movements during a single revolution of the cam shaft: vFirst the transfer device is swung against the turn table for the gripping of a full transfer bar, then the transfer device is swung against the needle bar for the transfer of the prefabricated stocking blank to the knitting needles, then the k transfer device is again swung against the turn table for the deposing of the empty transfer bar on the turn table, and finally the transfer device is raised to a small degree into the neutral position. The transfer device and its driving mechanism to be described hereinafter carry out said operations.

According to Figs. 4, 6, 7 and 9-12 the supporting frame 500 of the transfer device M8 is loosely and rotatably mounted on theneedle bar shaft 22. The support 5(80 is provided with lugs 502. Bell-crank levers 506 are pivoted to said lugs at 504. The rear end of these bell-crank levers is provided with an adjusting screw 53d, which normally is pressed against the support 500 by means of a spring 536 stretched between the bell-crank lever 505 and the support, so that the bell-crank levers are normally held in a predetermined adjustable relative position with respect to the support 500. The. gripping latches 538 (see particularly Figs. 11 and 12) are pivoted to the front end of the bell-crank levers at 539. The gripping latches are subjected to the action of a tension spring 5110 which is stretched between the gripping latches and the arm 505 and tends to draw the gripping latches into closing position. Furthermore, on the side of each gripping latch a stud 542 is arranged, which cooperates with one of the two guiding finger levers 544. These guiding finger levers 544 are loosely arranged on the shaft 32 supported by the machine frame, and may carry out small swinging movements in a manner to be described later on. When, during such a swinging movement, .the guiding finger 544 abuts against the stud 542, the latches are opened against the action of the spring 540. When, during such a swinging motion, the finger 54d is moved away from the stud 542, the gripping latches are brought into closing position by the action of the spring 5ML vWhen a transfer bar T has been gripped by the gripping latches, the latter press same into a recess 566 (Figs. 6 and 12) of the arms Edt owing to the action of the spring 5:20, so that the transfer bar T is held firmly in its position, when the gripping latches are in closing position, and cannot fall out of this position, when the transfer device having its support 500 loosely arranged on the needle bar 22 is swung about this needle bar. In order to make this swinging movement possible, gears 508 rigidly connected with the support 500 in a suitable manner are also loosely mounted on the needle bar shaft 22. Said gears 508 mesh with gear segments 5I0 keyed to the shaft 32. When an operation of the transfer device is required at a predetermined time, the gear segments 5I0 meshing with the gears 508 are osoillated vby means of suitable movements of the shaft 32 as will be described later on.

The cam drive controlling the support 500 and the fingers 544 is best shown in Figs. l-4. A roller lever 5I2 which is subjected to the action of the strong spring 526 and -carries the two rollers 528 and 5M, is keyed to the shaft 32 carrying the `gearsegments 5I0. The roller 528 is rotatably 11 but not shiftably arranged on the lever 512, while 'the roller 514 is rotatably and shiftably mounted on the lever 5112. 'Ihe roller 528 always cooperates with the auxiliary cam 530, irrespective of the fact whether or not the cam Vshaft 18 is shifted for a narowing operation, as the auxiliary cam 535 (see Fig. 3) is broader than the roller 528. The roller 514 cooperates either with the working cam 513 for the transfer device or with the round cam 518 for the transfer device and v' may be shifted from the round cam 518 to the cam 516 and vice versa by means of a forked lever 525 at moments controlled .by the pattern chain in a manner to be described later n. When the roller 514 is in engagement with the working cam 516 actuating the transfer device, no narrowing operation takes place, i. e, the cam shaft 18 is not shifted. When the roller 514 cooperates with the round cam` 513 holding the transfer device in neutral position, shifting movements of the cam shaft 18 for narrowing operations occur. Therefore, the round cam 518 is broader than the roller 51'4, so that the latter `also remains in engagement with the round cam during narrowing operations. swinging movements imparted to the roller lever 512 by the worlnng cam 516 are transmitted to the gear segments 5111 through the medium of the shaft 32. The forked lever 520 causing the shifting of the roller 514 from the round cam 518 to the working cam 516, is keyed to the control rod 34, which alsopcarries, as described above, the forked lever 236 (Fig. `6) for the shifting o-f the roller 225 of the roller lever 224 causing the high and low knocking-'over as well as the forked lever 88 (Fig. 7) for the Vshifting of the roller 18 of the press arm '14. As best 'shown in Figs. 1 4, a iiange 522 is provided, which serves to render a shifting of the roller 514 from the round 'cam 518 to the working cam 516 and vice versa possible only at a certain predetermined moment. For this purpose the flange 522 has Ia recess vonly at one place 524 (Fig. 4), i. e. the place where the working cam 5&5 and the round cam 518 are of the round cam 518 or the cam 5115 respectively.

This space is necessary, in order to obtain an easy shifting of the roller 514 by means of the forked lever 520 and to prevent the roller 514 from becoming pressed against the round cam 51S or the cam 52B by the strong spring 526 `during the shifting. Fig. 4 shows the roller 514 in contact with the highest point of the working cam 516 rotating in the direction of the arrow N. When the roller occupies this position, the gear segment 510 is swung to the furthest extent in counter-clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 4, so that the support 560 with its gripping latches 538 is in its lowermost position. The cam 516 has a second high point 532, in which again the gripping latches 538 are brought into the lowermost position. The position first mentioned, shown in Fig. 4, is the position in which the gripping latches 533 deposit an empty transfer bar on the turn table 581). The second position mentioned, in which 'the roller 514 contacts the point 532 It is obvious that the vof the cam 51S, is the position in which the gripping latches remove a full transfer bar from the turn table, The radius of the round cam 518 is somewhat shorterthan the distance between the above mentioned highest points of the working cam 516 and its center point, so that, when the roller 514 contacts the round cam 518, the support 559 with its gripping latches 538 s in a somewhat elevated position as shown in Fig. 1l. In this position, which has been designated as the neutral position of the transfer device, the latches 538 are above the quills or transfer points P of the transfer bar T, so that the turn table 58S may be advanced without any obstruction.

The cam 554 mounted on the main cam shaft 18 actuates the fingers 544. The roller 552 rotatably and shiftably mounted on the roller lever 548 may be pressed against the projections 564 and 565 of the cam 554 by means of the tension spring 556 connected to the extension 558 of this roller lever. The lever 548 is loosely and rotatably mounted on the shaft 32 and is rigidly connected to the finger levers 544 by means of a connecting rod 553 (Figs. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, and Thus, when the roller 552 comes in engagement with the projections 554 and 555, the fingers 544 are swung. The roller 552, however, cannot come in engagement with the round portion of the cam 554, because, when the strong spring 556 lowers the roller lever 548, its extension 558 at first abuts against a rod 562 attached to the machine frame. The space thus obtained between the round portion of the cam 554 and the roller 552 renders possible a shifting of the roller 552 by means of the forked lever 551) without any obstruction by the spring 556 at the predetermined moments.

- Like the forked lever 523 and the forked levers 235 and 38 (Figs. 6 and 7) the forked leverl 560 is keyed to the control rod 34 already mentioned above.

When, after the pressing 01T of a finished stocking blank, the operation of the transfer 4device shall be automatically started for the transfer of a new, prefabricated stocking blank on to the needles of the machine, the narrowing jack lever '1121) (Figs. 2 and 8) is lifted-by a button '113 arranged on the narrowing chain '105. The narrowing jack lever '112b is connected to one end of a link 745, the other end of which is connected to a lever '142 rotatably mounted on the pivot 143. The lever '142 has a forked end engaged with the control rod 34. Thus, the narrowing jack lever '112D tends to move the control rod 34 in the direction of the arrow Q (Fig. 2) When the narrowing jack lever is lifted. The narrowing jack lever '112D is, however, actuated at a moment in which the control rod should not yet be moved. The movement of the control rod must be timed in such a manner, that during the period in which the main cam shaft makes a full revolution the transfer device has suiicient time to bring the transfer bar from the supply table to the needles, to transfer the loops at the proper moment to the needles and to move the transfer bar away from the needles again. Therefore, means are provided by which, on one hand, the control rod 34 is moved in the direction of the arrow Q only at a moment, when the main cam shaft 18, after the actuation of the narrowing jack lever 712D, has been rotated through a certain angle lof about 200 to 3D0 degrees, and, on the other hand, the 'control 'rod 34 is returned into its starting position in a direction opposite to the'direction of the arrow Q only at a moment, when, after a 

